Partnership with Clark University

The educational program at UPCS
is deliberately planned to help students
prepare for college. Students and
teachers are on Clark's campus nearly
every day, not only using the labs or the
gym but also observing and interacting
with Clark students and faculty. UPCS
students take mini-seminars with college
faculty in grades 7 to 10, and most
enroll in college classes for credit during
their junior and senior years. As they
become more familiar with the campus
culture, they begin to see a future
for themselves in which college feels
within reach. As early as the seventh
grade, UPCS students walk through the
campus and point out their future dorm
rooms. They are "little Clarkies," with
college IDs to seal the deal. Upon graduation,
students who meet the admission
criteria can attend Clark tuition free for
four years, eliminating real and perceived
financial barriers to college.

The partnership with Clark University also provides UPCS with valuable teaching and professional development resources through the Adam Institute for Urban Teaching and School Practice and the Jacob Hiatt Center for Urban Education. The school serves as a clinical training site for the University's Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program, with six or so teacher interns working alongside UPCS master faculty for the full academic year. Most UPCS staff members are graduates of the program. UPCS classrooms are often the site for "Teacher Rounds" for M.A.T. teacher interns. UPCS teachers often contribute to courses in the M.A.T. program in other ways as well. Many serve with college faculty on curriculum teams in each discipline to improve instruction through careful analysis of data, student work, and classroom practice.